Wacha beats rain, Cardinals top Giants 2-0

St. Louis Cardinals' Oscar Taveras rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in his second major league at bat in the fifth inning during a game against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, May 31, 2014, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. In background is San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Lee)

ST. LOUIS — Michael Wacha worked six innings of three-hit ball in his fifth rain-delayed start of the season and Oscar Taveras homered in his second career at-bat for the St. Louis Cardinals in a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

Yusmeiro Petit (3-3) gave up two hits in six innings for the Giants, but one of them was Taveras’ 418-foot drive in the fifth. Petit subbed for injured Matt Cain, placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, for the second straight start.

The Cardinals have piled up 6 hours, 30 minutes of idle time in Wacha’s starts, with delays of 51 and 47 minutes Saturday. The total includes a 61-minute weather delay before the first pitch against the Yankees his last start for a storm that failed to materialize, and the Cardinals lost in 12 innings.

Wacha’s debut a year ago against the Royals was delayed more than 4 1/2 hours after the bullpen gave up the lead and finished at 3:14 a.m.

Jhonny Peralta added an RBI double off George Kontos in the seventh for St. Louis, which ended a three-game losing streak and snapped the Giants’ four-game winning streak.

Rain began to fall heavily during Taveras’ at-bat with one out in the fifth while fans opened umbrellas or headed for cover. The game was halted for the first time after the 21-year-old outfielder, the team’s prize prospect, hammered a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall.

The 22-year-old Wacha (4-3) gave up one hit and dealt with just one base runner the first five innings, a double by Michael Morse leading off the second. He returned after a 47-minute delay to work a scoreless sixth, allowing two-out, two-strike hits to Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval before striking out cleanup man Morse on three pitches.

Sam Freeman and Pat Neshek worked a scoreless inning apiece, combining for three strikeouts, and Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth for 16th save in 18 chances.

Matt Carpenter had a single and walk and has a 13-game hitting streak, the longest current run in the National League. Matt Holliday walked in the eighth and has reached base in all 27 home games.

NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey missed his third straight game with tightness in his lower back. Manager Bruce Bochy said Posey could return Sunday or get another day with the team off Monday. . . . Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner was 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA in May with 48 strikeouts in 39 innings. . . . Tim Hudson (5-2, 1.92) opposes Lance Lynn (6-2, 3.13) in the series finale on Sunday. Lynn shut out the Yankees in his first career complete game his last start and Hudson has worked seven or more innings in all but two of his 10 starts.